SECRET #16 OF FOLLOWING JESUS

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Salt and light! Salt is the invisible presence of God that must be sensed by the world. Salt is the inner dimension of your faith walk that is most important. Light is the external dimension of your faith walk. Unless your act of following Jesus works from the inside out-salt first, then light, you will find yourself without the invisible presence of God. Without the saltiness of the invisible presence of God, you'll tend to end up just faking it.

SECRET #16 is founded in Jesus' teachings about the light. He says: "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:14-16) SECRET #16 is: The follower of Jesus is the light of the world for all to see.

Whereas the dimension of salt must be sensed and not seen, the dimension of light must seen in order to be effective. Salt has more to do with your character; light has to do with your lifestyle. The implication here is that there is a watching world around you. They are watching how you live your life in the good times and in bad.

Jesus taught that He was the light of the world and here He teaches His disciples that they are to function as the light of the world, too. It seems that Jesus wants His disciples to walk closely in His steps, so that His disciples are actually carrying out His teachings. I've come to see that the followers of Jesus are called upon to be Jesus as they come in contact with others. This is essential to understanding what it means to be the light of the world.

To be the light of the world also means to love one another. Jesus makes it clear that loving one another will let the world know more clearly about Him and His message.

To be the light of the world means to bless others, even when you are insulted. To do this will stir up a curiosity in others to ask you for the reason for the hope that is in you. Why do you act so differently? Instead of getting even, you try to make things right. This shines the true light of Jesus in a world full of darkness.

To be the light of the world means to have as your life question toward others: What can I do to help? (And, really mean it!) To shine as light in darkness is to meet the needs of those you encounter as you are able-to be a good neighbor, even to your worst enemy.

To be the light of the world means to be willing and ready to share your personal story when the opportunity arises. This does not require you to preach, teach or set anyone straight. You don't want to be a bright spot light, but a helpful light that eliminates the darkness in people's minds and lives.

Jesus said: "You ARE the salt of the earth." Just like the dimension of salt, Jesus says: "You ARE the light of the world." People are attracted to the light. You don't have to do anything spectacular; just live your life from the inside out-from salt to light! Be very aware that who you are matters and can make a significant difference in your world. In a sense, with salt and light you are more like a thermostat that sets the temperature rather than a thermometer that reports what the temperature is. With salt and light, you can be proactive and not just reactive!

SECRET #16? The follower of Jesus is the light of the world for all to see. When they see you, may they see Jesus, simply Jesus.